Josh Kerr Shatters Men's Mile World Record With 3:42.66 in London
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr broke the men's mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 at the Novuna London Athletics Meet on Saturday, World Athletics reported. The performance at the Wanda Diamond League meeting bettered the previous mark of 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999, according to World Athletics.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Mon, 20 July 2026 · 2 min read
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr broke the men's mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 at the Novuna London Athletics Meet on Saturday, World Athletics reported. The performance at the Wanda Diamond League meeting bettered the previous mark of 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999, according to World Athletics.
Kerr, the 2023 world 1500m champion, moved to the front in the final lap at London Stadium and held his lead to the line, BBC Sport reported. The 28-year-old's run trimmed 0.47 seconds off a record that had stood for 27 years, Olympics.com reported.
The mile headline topped a London programme that also saw Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson return to winning form on home soil, British Athletics said. Full results were published by World Athletics and LetsRun.com.
Kerr said afterwards he hoped the clocking would galvanise British distance running ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Glasgow 2026 organisers reported.
## Kerr Ends 27-Year Wait for New Mile Record
The 3:42.66 clocking is the fastest mile ever ratified by World Athletics, eclipsing El Guerrouj's Rome run of 3:43.13 from July 1999. It is the first British men's mile world record since Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe exchanged the mark in the early 1980s, and returns a blue-riband distance record to British hands for the first time in more than four decades.
**Related coverage:**
- [Diamond League London 2026: full results and schedule](/sport/diamond-league-london-2026-results)
- [Keely Hodgkinson headlines London Athletics Meet](/sport/hodgkinson-london-athletics-2026)
- [Track and field world records watch: 2026](/sport/athletics-world-records-2026)
**FAQ**
*Who broke the men's mile world record in 2026?*
Britain's Josh Kerr broke the men's mile world record with 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League on 18 July 2026, according to World Athletics.
*What was the previous men's mile world record?*
The previous mark of 3:43.13 was set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, World Athletics records show.
*Where did Josh Kerr set the mile record?*
Kerr set the record at the Novuna London Athletics Meet, part of the Wanda Diamond League, at London Stadium.
**Sources**
- https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxOLUxQbUM4azJJbnJOazBVaDlyYXpDVlhkRWUzb01jN3M1XzVRRUs5eTM4ZS0tTWE0bEg1MkdMODZ3SkhFb3JFZkdwX1A1WjAzSmx4YTd1YXBlN0U1aExibi1VVXpoN21xWnlvdGloQzh3YlgyenZ5STdnNEhKVkVKaUdHbUd3NjJVcU9ldGlNV2Utd09HSE9HTzNCcmlsNkpNX00xQ1FTZUpLbW1rUi1Vb1M2MzM?oc=5
*Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Report corrections to corrections@sourcereporters.com.*